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With a little over two weeks to go before tax filings are due, Pennsylvania officials are ramping up efforts to raise awareness about a new tax credit aimed at delivering direct financial relief to working families.

The program, known as the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit, was enacted last year. Officials say nearly 1 million residents are eligible, though less than half have claimed it so far.

“We want you, when you file your taxes, to get this relief,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said during a visit Friday to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Karabots Pediatric Care Center.

What the tax credit does

The credit allows eligible workers to receive up to $805 back on their state income taxes, with higher amounts available depending on income and number of dependents. In its first year alone, it is projected to deliver roughly $193 million in total relief.

Revenue Secretary Pat Browne described the credit as “the most impactful change to promote equity and fairness in our entire tax system since the personal income tax was enacted over 50 years ago.”

“As of right now, those who have filed and claimed it, 99% of those who have claimed it have been approved for it,” he said.

Nearly 500,000 claims have already been approved, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, totaling over $125 million returned to taxpayers. Officials expect hundreds of thousands more to apply in the final weeks of tax season.

The credit represents a rare bipartisan agreement on tax policy in Pennsylvania. Lawmakers and governors had discussed similar proposals for years, but only recently reached consensus.

“We worked hard and brought Democrats and Republicans together to finally get this done after decades of people talking about it,” Shapiro said. “This is the first progressive tax bill to hit the desk of a governor in decades, and that’s a big darn deal and it’s helping a whole lot of people.”

State leaders have framed the measure as part of a broader effort to make the tax code more equitable, particularly for low- and moderate-income workers. With the filing deadline approaching, the administration’s message is increasingly direct: The benefit is available now, but only for those who claim it.

“We don’t want to leave any money on the table,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia, who serves as chair of the appropriations committee. “The money is there … Go get it.”